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Chapter 13
CASSIUS
Repentance
DEAR ALL THINGS holy and good in the world, please have them show. Its divine grace blessed me with this task, and if Lucifer doesn’t show with Elias, I will have failed. The Mortal Realm and all of Heaven rely on me. It is my sole purpose in life to ensure my brother’s unfathomable plans don’t come to fruition. My deal with a demon cannot be in vain. It can’t. I feel it deep in my being that this is the right path to take.
I never expected my fallen brethren to ask me to show him mercy by saving the mortal soul that ruined his grace. That moment he told me what was deep in the dark abyss of his tainted soul, I knew exactly what to do. It was the sign I needed after facing the hurdles the devils put forth. And now, things will be right with the universe and return to as they should.
I mean, as long as my forsaken brother shows. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s disappointed me. From the moment I saw him start to drift from the light of the Higher Power to watching him slice his own wings off his back to plunge from Heaven, taking his light with him, I knew that our bond was lost. He blames me for not sticking by his side. I don’t have it in my essence to return the same blame, but I will not stand by and watch him try to destroy everything our creator has done. I won’t.
It is my duty and obligation to see to it that these shifts in power don’t occur. I’ll do anything to keep Hell where it should be—beneath Heaven and the Higher Power—which is why mortals were engrained with the idea to look down at the dark masses jeopardizing the foundation of power souls bring to our existence. Hell will be and should be always beneath the greater good. I will do whatever it takes, even if it means making deals with my brother. Heaven must remain above all. It is where it belongs.
A rumbling engine drags my attention away from the desolate road in front of me, and I spin to catch sight of a sleek, black vehicle squealing as it turns sharply onto the street. I’d recognize Lucifer’s darkness anywhere as it radiates around him like ever-present smoke billowing from the depths of his evil.
The fucking abomination, twisted fool of a monstrous bastard, piece of shit, staining everything he ever encounters with his inky, vile, existence. Just watching his eyes glow with Hell power and the cocky grin cutting his sharp features ignites a wave of vengeance through my heart. If I could jab my flaming sword through his hideous, blasphemous fake human façade and cut his horns free, I would use them to gouge his eyes out so he can never see the exceptional beauty and life the Higher Power has gifted to us in this universe.
Damn. The profanity whirling through my mind is nothing short of glorious perfection. It was Lucifer whose mere existence as a devil that has given me such a gift that I protect within my being. There is no need to speak the words out loud. They are far more powerful to contain within the light of power I’ll use to avenge my lost brethren for what Lucian has used Raven to accomplish.
“Hey bitch-face, pay attention or I’ll stomp the throttle.” Lucifer hangs his head out the window of his vehicle and revs the engine. “You’re lucky as Hell that I need you to be able to fly this little shit out of here or you’d see the underside of this Porsche. It’s a fun fucking drive.”
I turn my gaze toward the inch of space between my legs and the bumper. Unsheathing my sword, I set it aflame with heavenly fire and drag it across the hood. Lucifer flings the door open and transforms into his disgusting Hell form, trying to intimidate me as if he is ever truly a threat. He’s already tried to push his power at me once before at the mortal establishment I managed to grab his attention at during his obnoxious use of thinning the veil between planes—something he should’ve lost with his disgraced jump. He knows that to be a true match to me, he must bind himself to the pits of Hell. All he can merely do is prove how far he’s fallen.
I am and will always be above him. My wings and grace prove it.
I raise my palm, gathering heavenly light to stop him in his tracks. “Now, Lucifer. Is that really necessary? It is merely a material object with no true value in the grand picture.”
He flares his nostrils and chucks a stream of Hell power at me, which I easily deflect with my light. “Always the righteous, mightier than thou fucker, I see.” At least he knows his place.
The fact that he agreed to give me Elias for the sole purpose of keeping Raven out of the hands of the other rulers of Hell also proves it. He made it rather easy by being caught up in his need to run Hell in its entirety and withhold power from the other devils and Raven. His inability to see beyond himself has finally benefited me. His pride has gotten so much in the way that he’s willing to void Raven’s contract to ensure if he can’t have her at his mercy, then no one can.
Love truly can change the universe. It’s Elias’s need to protect Raven from Lucian that made this possible. His sacrifice will be everything Heaven needs.
“Brother, cool your fires. I don’t want to be here with you as much as you don’t want to be here with me. Now please, let’s call a momentary truce and get things settled. I’m sure you’d like to get back to your...hellish life.” I tighten my jaw, offering a smirk. I wave to Elias in the front seat. “Come now, Elias. I’m sure you would like to enjoy the rest of your mortal life in peace.”
Elias quietly slides from the passenger’s seat and strolls closer. “I need to see him hold up his end of the bargain before we go.”
Sighing, I stretch my wings and use them to propel me to Lucifer. Fire burns his dark eyes, his features frustratingly similar to my own. Why were we created this way? It will always be a mystery. It’s been so long since he was my companion and not my counterpart. I can’t remember what it was like sharing such a bond. Well, except for the ease I have doing what is necessary for the greater good. Things many of my brethren cannot fathom.
I suppose because even fallen and disgraced, a part of him will always stain my existence. His mark is my mark, though I use my light to disguise it. I used to not always, but some mortals have tainted the true meaning of my mark, associating it with Lucifer over me, the protector against evil.
The fucking bastard. His closeness in this moment prods at my core. I can’t silence my whirling thoughts, speaking the words my tongue wouldn’t dare say aloud.
Lucifer shoves his door open and growls, summoning a Hell contract from a plane I would never dare enter. He holds it out to Elias but doesn’t release it right away. “Remember the stipulation. You must die unbound and not by Raven’s hands. Once that happens, her contract will void and this fuckhead can take her soul.”
Elias yanks the contract away from Lucifer and unrolls it, looking it over in silence. I fidget, waiting for him to finish reading everything unlike most mortals. Lucian’s eyes bore into the side of my head as he watches me gaze at Elias. It takes everything in me not to give Lucifer the attention he wants.
“As you can see, upon your death, you will be given a portion of my kingdom. You will help overlook my affairs and control my armies.” Lucifer reaches out and jabs at the contract.
“If I’m Hell-bound,” Elias says, finally finishing. He rolls up the contract and hands it to me. “Right, Cassius?”
“Oh, you will be,” Lucifer says, not giving me the chance to respond. “Just remember where you belong when you descend and remain loyal to me and you won’t have a problem with the other devils. I will keep them in control and on their paths.”
My jaw twitches, and I refrain from smiling. Because one of the things I’m certain about is that the other devils will rise and challenge Lucifer. They will stand together and shove him back where he belongs. It’s what I’m counting on. It’s one thing for Kase and Dante to remain on this plane. But my wayward brother? He’s done far too much damage already. I’d hate to think what he plans to do once I take Raven’s soul to the one place no devil is welcome and the place her light will forever be protected. Once she’s torn from the darkness and into the light, she will finally see that her true purpose is not intended to help Hell rise but ensure it remains beneath us.
I rest my hand on Elias’s shoulder. “Your sacrifice will be worth it to keep your soulmate out of the devils’ clutches. She might be content now, but the devils will grow bored of her. When that happens...it’s best we do not find out.”
They would most likely suck the light from her until Raven’s soul is nothing but an overused casing of a wasted gift. If that happens, her eternal suffering will surely far exceed any entity in this universe.
